The forty-sixth sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 46) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 46), as well as the third part of the first session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1-3), took place from 8 to 18 May 2017, in Bonn, Germany.

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) joined various sessions at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, bringing the latest scientific research and insights on the climate dimensions of land use, forestry, the urban environment, peatlands and other emissions hotspots in the tropics.

Explore this site to find out more about the involvement of CIFOR and partners in this global event.

Re-discovering the magnificent carbon storage potential of wetlands and peatlands

The immense carbon storage potential of tropical wetlands and peatlands is still largely unappreciated. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the European Space Agency (ESA), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) held an official side event on this topic at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference. Participants learned about the latest tools for identifying and locating wetlands and peatlands, for application in policy-making on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Find more details on the event flyer here.

Having maps as tools is central for many national reporting purposes in the context of the UNFCCC. Research shows that an even more powerful approach is to combine expert mapping systems with remote sensing and verifying conditions on the ground, or what’s known as ‘ground-truthing’. This can produce more credible information for sound policy-making. This session aimed to spark debate on the following questions:

What do we currently know about the extent and importance of tropical peatlands?

How applicable are peatland maps and other tools? Why is ground-truthing needed?

What capacity is available in countries to use these tools?

How can the international process pave the way toward peatland sustainability?

This side event was broadcast on YouTube Live by the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio channel. Watch the video here.